Haifa U Cancels Event Marking Three Years Since Cast Lead

Haifa University cancels event marking the third anniversary of Operation Cast Lead after organizers call it "fascist" and "a massacre".

By Elad Benari

First Publish: 12/28/2011, 6:14 AM

IDF soldiers leave Gaza after 'Cast Lead' operation, Ja

Flash 90

Haifa University has canceled a student event scheduled for Wednesday and which planned to mark the third anniversary of the start of the IDF’s Operation Cast Lead in Gaza.

Channel 10 News reported on Tuesday that the reason for the cancellation is the fact that the event’s organizers termed the operation a “massacre” and a “fascist operation” in the invitations it sent out.

The cancellation came after Channel 10 publicized on its website the invitation to the event, which was planned by a student group identified with MK Dov Henin’s Communist-based Hadash party.

The invitation, which was distributed around campus, reads: “In marking the third anniversary of the fascist Operation Cast Lead in Gaza, in which hundreds of Palestinians were killed without any distinction, and in a sign of solidarity with the Palestinians who have lived for years under the inhumane siege in Gaza, Hadash students are honored to invite you to the big event marking the war and massacre in Gaza.”

Channel 10 reported that many Jewish students on campus reacted angrily to the wording of the invitation, and some planned to hold a demonstration in support of the IDF while the event was going on.

“It makes no sense that the university approves such an event in an institution which lost students who went out to defend Israel,” one student told Channel 10.

“Hundreds of students of this university participated in Operation Cast Lead; some of them were wounded,” he added. “To now hold this event which goes against the IDF’s operation is rude and it should not be allowed.”

While the university first announced that it “strongly opposes the outrageous statements” but planned to allow the event to be held as planned, it later decided to cancel it altogether, Channel 10 said.